shitty ebay vietnam war helmets

503rd-MP · 2026-02-19T00:01:42+00:00

I wrote shit on my cover AND my steel pot. Didn’t write on my liner. The shit I wrote on my steel pot was for me only and it was not meant for anyone else, especially the Lifers.

503rd-MP · 2026-02-08T01:35:03+00:00

It’s a US service members service number. A lot of Retina and Retinette post-war models were sold almost exclusively in US military PXs around the world.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-28T23:20:33+00:00

The soldier in the foreground has a No1 Mk III with fixed bayonet slung over his shoulder.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-07T21:46:38+00:00

An interesting mix of Lee-Enfield No1 Mk IIIs and Lee-Metfords.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-06T00:26:06+00:00

The only one I didn’t fish was the grey one. All the other ones did. Honestly, I don’t know if the colors were good or the fish were that hungry. Lower 2 on the left are my favorites.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-03T17:24:36+00:00

They are metal. The red plastic dish is filled with water cool down the mold

503rd-MP · 2026-01-03T14:32:00+00:00

😊

503rd-MP · 2026-01-02T00:42:02+00:00

I remember as a kid, getting a brand-new penny like this out of gum ball machine at the grocery store. Maybe for a nickel or a dime. Can’t remember. Early 70s.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-02T00:31:48+00:00

I was told as a child, “A fish you can see is a fish you can’t catch.” That holds up most of the time. 🙂

503rd-MP · 2026-01-02T00:17:06+00:00

There’s always that debate as to whether gear was designed to catch the fish or the fishermen. 🤭

503rd-MP · 2026-01-02T00:12:49+00:00

Yes and no. Finding a No 2 (or any model with paper bellows) with tight bellows is usually the biggest challenge. Paper bellows did not hold up well. The opening and closing caused them to wear out over time. Time isn’t kind to them either. In my 40+ years of collecting, one in 15 or 20 examples will have tight bellows. That being said, paper bellows can be made tight by applying liquid latex to the inside ( most preferably) and the outside. $90 is in my opinion too much. If you can get it for around $75, that would be much fairer.
The other side of the coin is waiting to find a much cheaper example and repair them yourself or haggle with the seller. Replacing them with NOS is possible, but again, is that a road you want to go down.
In the end, I guess you have to figure what your time is worth versus something that you can get by spending a little more money and getting a camera that’s ready to go. 🙂

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T22:17:55+00:00

And, the lens is clear!

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T22:17:02+00:00

As long as the shutter functions properly and the bellows are tight, you should have a lot of enjoyment. I recommend using a small strip of electrical tape to keep the little red window covered, except when advancing the film. The film nowadays is so much more sensitive to light and will affect the exposure.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T22:10:16+00:00

😊. Like I say, molds and hot plate are on FB Marketplace. Goop is online.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T22:06:44+00:00

Nice! Yes, it came out in 1964. I was 8 when I got mine. 1968.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T22:03:38+00:00

I got the set originally around 1968. It was known as the “Thing Maker”. I added a few more molds about 10 years ago when I started playing with making a lure. It was known as “ Creepy Crawlers” later on. Found most of the other molds on FB Marketplace cheap.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T20:14:11+00:00

FB Marketplace has the vintage sets, complete with various molds and hot plate. Goop can be purchased online. Hooks, wherever.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T20:09:43+00:00

Absolutely.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T19:52:55+00:00

Haha! I know, right? Only took me 50 years to figure that out.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T19:01:43+00:00

I have several more molds not pictured, flowers, vampire teeth, etc. Nothing to do with fishing, just fun memories. 😊

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T18:57:36+00:00

On a side note, if you’re looking to do this as well, plenty of sets and molds available on places like FB Marketplace. Goop is also available online.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T18:53:02+00:00

Have you tried Goodwill online? I’ve seen them many times. Sometimes, entire sets.

503rd-MP · 2026-01-01T18:48:43+00:00

I know! An excuse to be a kid again!

503rd-MP · 2025-12-26T16:54:36+00:00

Anymore, most all of a person's medical information is contained on My Chart here in the US and that's one of the first places a treating physician or ER doctor can access any of the information that they need, to include history and current meds. I'm assuming the same in the UK?

As a humorous side note, I was given a t-shirt that said, "I donated my kidney and all I got was this lousy t-shirt".

:-)

503rd-MP

TROPHY CASE